Pawprints
by Foxtail-Padfoot
Summary: Whatever happened to Jethro? McAbby! Are you happy, BBP? So, this is taking place sometime in s7, minor spoilers, just Timmy's Friday as compared with Abby's. Part One. "Let's go for a walk."
1. Chapter 1

Pawprints

**A/N: So, this is a little McAbby dog piece… Whatever happened to Jethro? Mild s7 spoilers, mild Tiva.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Caesar, Coca-Cola, or any other copyrighted objects or people mentioned. Sadness.**

Tim's fingers tangled in Jethro's soft fur, and blue lights flickered across two sets of avid eyes. It was Friday night, and time to watch _Dog Whisperer._ _Some Friday_, whispered that little part of Tony in his head, but Tim pushed the thought away. This was his weekly ritual, and both he and Jethro enjoyed it. The only way these nights could be better would be if Abby were here… But, tonight was her girls' night out.

After the first commercial break, Tim stood up and walked to the fridge. Pulling out a Coke, he glanced surreptitiously at the phone, willing it to ring. No such look. Resigned to another evening alone with his-slash-Abby's dog, Tim grabbed a Milk Bone and carried his drink and Jethro's treat back to the couch. The German Shepherd took the bone delicately between his teeth, avoiding Tim's digits before scarfing the treat. Tim laughed as usual, Jethro settled into Tim's lap as usual, and the hour wore on as usual.

Nine o'clock came and went as usual. Tim turned off the TV as usual, turned on his jazz music as usual, and set to work on his typewriter with Jethro curled at his feet, as usual. At about nine thirty, the phone rang.

Not as usual.

Tim jumped, startled out of his reverie, and grabbed the phone. "Tim McGee," he answered automatically.

"Timmy! Come keep me company." McGee grinned when he heard Abby's cheerful voice.

"What happened to your girls' night out with Ziva?" Tim asked, thinking he already knew the answer.

"My partner in crime was requisitioned by yours," Abby replied, the smile on her face big enough to be "heard" over the phone.

"Tony is not my partner in crime," Tim protested mildly. He and Tony were fairly close friends now, but still, that was only because of what had happened… over the summer.

Abby giggled. "You two got arrested together."

"Because of Gibbs!"

"Oh, whatever. Just come keep me company."

"Where are you?"

"Outside your building."

Tim laughed at her matter-of-fact voice, plus her chosen location. "Jethro, or no Jethro?"

"To be or not to be?" Abby laughed. "Jethro, please."

"Coming." Tim set down the phone and turned to the door, where an expectant Jethro was sitting, tail thumping on the ground and leash tangling from his mouth. "Are you expecting something?" Tim asked as he bent down to take the leash and clip it to Jethro's black leather, studded dog collar, courtesy of Abby.

Jethro tugged Tim out the door, and Tim barely managed to lock it before he was tugged by the hyper German Shepherd to where his "real" owner was waiting. There was a huge smile on Abby's face as Jethro yanked the leash away from Tim and ran to Abby. She hugged the Shepherd, burying her face into his thick fur as he twisted his head to sloppily kiss her neck.

Abby looked up from the Shepherd's attentions, her smile reduced to the double curve she reserved for moments of true happiness. Standing, she took Jethro's leash in one hand and Tim's hand in the other.

"Let's go for a walk."


	2. Chapter 2

Pawprints

**A/N: By demand of my sister The Big Black Panther, I am expanding this story, and will add one more chapter after this one. No more than three, though. Unless I get really inspired and find a plot for this. I reference my fic "The L Word" in this chapter. Just so you know.**

**Minor Disclaimer: I am not DBP nor do I own any part of the show other than a few select FBI and NCIS agents I created in Kaleidoscope, and of course this fic.**

Tim smiled, swinging his and Abby's hands back and forth. Their feet moved in time as they walked together, with Jethro walking unusually sedated beside them, paws padding in what appeared to be double time- he, after all, had four legs and not two. Tim's eyes flicked up to meet Abby's bright green ones for a moment before returning to the moonlit path ahead. His grin spread wider, and from the corner of his eye he could see a smile spread across Abby's rosy lips as well.

"This is nice," Abby said, quietly. Not wanting to disturb the comfortable silence, he supposed. It made sense; Tim did not want to ruin it, either.

Tim opened his mouth to agree, but before he could Jethro barked acquiescence for him. Laughing, Tim finally spoke: "I guess that's an 'I agree' for the both of us."

She smiled, swinging their joined hands in a wider arc through the air. They both looked ahead then, trying to pretend they were not looking at each other even though they both knew they both were. A slight tremor racked his body, and Tim finally managed to tear his eyes away from the curving profile of her face. Instead, he tried to look around and take in the colorful fall leaves, which occasionally fluttered to the ground like so many russet snowflakes.

Licking his lips self-consciously, Tim finally stopped, turning Abby towards him. "Can we head back to my place, maybe?"

"Is anything wrong, Timmy?" The concern in Abby's face was evident.

He had seen- _so_ much he did not want to over the past several months, with Tony and Ziva. Theirs was one screwed up, messed up, twisted, incomprehensible relationship. And yet they loved each other, even if in their bubbles of ignorance they could not see it. Tim knew Abby got a kick out of that, but… Tim's experience with it had been different. Tim had seen the look on Tony's face in Somalia when Ziva had asked why they had come after her. Tim had remembered the discomfort when Abby had forced the feelings out of Tony, and saw that again there, where Tony could do even less to stop himself. He knew how much it hurt Tony to lie to her, to skirt the truth, to pretend his feelings were anything other than what they were. Tim did not want his relationship with Abby to be like that. It never in a sane world could be, but the thought of theirs maybe being an insane world frightened him. He searched Abby's eyes with his own, hoping to convey his overwhelming need through the simple look.

"Fine, just a little worn," he fibbed, knowing in that instance and a dozen others like it how Tony felt every day.


End file.
